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We went to Shibuya’s swanky Saunas to sweat away all of our troubles

Shannon May 23, 2024
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Our reporter shows us how to find serenity in a very busy neighborhood.

The SoraNews24 team is no stranger to a good Tokyo sauna, but it’s not often that we find one in a lively place like Shibuya. In fact, the lack of decent saunas was one of the biggest drawbacks when our Shibuya-loving, Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa moved into the area. But recently, he heard there was a new place that fit the bill: Shibuya Saunas.

Shibuya Saunas is actually produced by manga artist Katsuki Tanaka, known as the writer of Manga Sadou: Manga de Yomu Sauna-dou, a manga centered around sauna culture. Being a Manga Sadou fan himself, Seiji was thrilled to try a facility produced by a fellow sauna lover.

Despite being just a five-minute walk away from Shibuya Station, Seiji found the sauna’s neighborhood to be rather quiet. The fancy-looking exterior was quite inviting.

▼ Conveniently, prices are listed right on the sauna’s sign.

Including tax, it was only 3,080 yen (US$19.79) on weekdays for two and a half hours, or 3,850 yen on weekends and holidays. It was a deal that Seiji found hard to believe, especially considering its central locale.

Early-morning and late-night deals are also available, like 1,800 yen for 80 minutes between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. or 1,800 yen for 60 minutes from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Seiji went around 7 p.m. on a Friday, so he opted for the 3,080-yen package. Since there were other customers inside, Seiji wasn’t able to talk photos of the interior, but he did report on what he saw in detail. The first floor is a lounge, and up the lounge stairs is an area where you can order food and drinks.

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A post shared by 渋谷SAUNAS (@shibuya_saunas)

One drink available for free is Oropo, a bright yellow drink consisting of Pocari Sweat and Oronamin C, a popular Japanese vitamin C drink.

The second floor had a few saunas, showers, a locker room, and a shared bath, all separated by sex. There wasn’t much space, so it was a cozy fit. However, the Harmaa Sauna that Seiji tried on this floor was big enough to fit 15 people.

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A post shared by 渋谷SAUNAS (@shibuya_saunas)

Popular Tokyo saunas often have lines, but Seiji remarked that there wasn’t much of one on this floor. Maybe everyone is on the third floor? he theorized.

▼ When he went to the third floor, he quickly realized why.

The third floor was designed to look like an outdoor sauna, with bright ceilings, warm wooden benches and floors, and plenty of greenery. There were three sauna rooms on this floor as well, but the open area pictured below was free for anyone to lounge in.

Seiji tried the Finnish-style Kelo Sauna on this floor and was again surprised that it wasn’t very crowded. Had he found a true hidden gem in Shibuya?

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A post shared by 渋谷SAUNAS (@shibuya_saunas)

The baths were deep and cool, and the saunas were nice and hot. It was almost like a sauna theme park with all of the different types of saunas to try. Seiji now understood why this was called the Sauna Paradise of Shibuya. They even offer a welcoming aura to non-Japanese-speaking guests with this sign:

So if you’re in Shibuya and you want a nice and relaxing steam, Seiji highly recommends Shibuya Saunas! No reservations are accepted, so it’s a great place to drop in to kill some time.

Sauna information
Shibuya Saunas / 渋谷SAUNAS
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Sakuragaoka-cho 18-9
東京都渋谷区桜丘町18-9
Open 8 a.m.-12 a.m.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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